Distant Victory: Haruka's Story
by 191-LilAngel-191
Summary: Haruka Katsu is beginning her new life in Waffle Island. Read along as she builds up her new farm, meets new friends, and might even fall in love! That is, if she ever figures out what love is... Animal Parade. "Haruka" as the playable character. OCx? POV changes after day 1!
1. Day 0: Prologue

Prologue

"Are you _sure_ that's her?"

A small harvest sprite starred down at a girl from the sky, skeptically. A turquoise-haired goddess floated next to him, and the two of them peered down at the young lady. The goddess nodded.

"Yes." She replied to the sprite, smiling a little. "That's her."

Now, just to clarify, the girl they were watching was nothing special. She was merely a typical young girl… or at least, that's what she appeared to be. She had short, brown, choppy-looking hair, which rested nicely above her shoulders. Her upper half was clad in what appeared to be a half-sleeved green t-shirt, on top of which was another, more miniature half-top. A brown belt rested on her hips, attaching a single brown pocket to the young maiden. It also appeared to hold up a short skirt… No, wait, a skort, as it was revealed to be when the girl turned around and her skirt lifted up, revealing what was below it.

"I'm off!" The sprite and goddess heard her call into the house behind her, giving a half-wave to another woman with her glove-covered hands. The other woman smiled, calling back after her.

"Have fun, Haruka!" She shouted, cupping her own hands around her mouth to accentuate the sound. The other woman, whose features resembled closely to the young girl's, lifted one of her arms to wave back at her.

Haruka smiled. "Thanks, mom!" She quickly called back, before poking the tip of one of her brown boots into the ground and pivoting around. She then proceeded to skip down the road, away from her home.

Watching the girl from above, the goddess reassured the confused sprite, putting a hand on his tiny back. He glanced at her, but her eyes stayed glued to the young girl, who had looked up at a random spot of the sky down below, perfectly unaware of the two who were watching her.

"That girl..." The goddess whispered, loud enough so only the sprite could hear, "…is important."

Haruka winced at the bright sun, then smiled her sweet smile.

"She's the one who will save us all."


	2. Spring 1 Pt 1: A New Beginning

**_Note from the author (191-Lilangel-191):_**

**_Okay, so, um... this is my first ever Fanfiction. Please be nice, reviewers!_**

**_I hope you like it! -^^-_**

* * *

_Spring 1 Part 1:_

_A New Beginning_

Waffle Ranch.

A lovely ring to it, isn't there?

Yes, this is where I'm going today.

Why, you ask?

Well, who knows?

I saw an ad for it in the paper my mother was reading, and it hit me. I pointed to the ad:

"I want to go." I told my mom, "I want to live there." Something was telling me to go there. Something inside me.

…I think.

Or maybe it was the sprite, Finn, who appeared before me the moment I saw the ad, whispering in my ear, "You must go there…." and scaring me silly.

Yeah, that was when I first met the little guy. He's lying next to me now, next the where I'm lying, on this giant haystack.

My mother, after seeing my enthusiasm, had called up the people who were running the ad and said I would take the farmland, though they'd have to give me a ride to the place. She said the experience would build character, so it was great that I'd pointed it out.

So now, here I am, riding in the back of a cart filled with hay, being driven by a guy who I hardly know to who-knows-where. Oh right, Waffle Ranch. That place.

The cart stops.

"We're here." The man calls, walking over to my side of the cart. He nudges my head, and my eyes fly open. Looking to my right, I see a hill, on which there appears to be a house….

That's my new home.

_Cool!_

I grin, jumping out of the cart, and do a little victory dance. I made it all the way out here, after all… I deserve at least some sort of reward. Being able to dance in a victorious manner is reward enough.

The man walks over again, and I freeze. Finn had floated up beside me during my dance, and he was directly in his line of sight. I make a dash for him, but he moves away before I can grab him. I end up falling on the floor.

Finn floats in front of me, his tiny hands resting on his hips. "What are you _doing_?" He asks, harshly. "I told you before… you're the only one who can see me!"

…Oh.

Right.

I flashback to the event, stowed away in the back of my mind. I'd thought it'd just been a dream or something, but I guess I was wrong.

* * *

I was still resting in the cart at the time, when Finn appeared in front of me, forming from the little light he always disguises himself as. He'd woken me up, so the entire event was kind of blurry. He'd looked fairly desperate, though, so I tried hard to focus.

Yeah, it didn't work.

Still, I remember most of what he said.

"Hey, don't forget that we have to go see the Harvest Goddess!" He'd exclaimed, making inappropriately wild hand gestures to show his emotions on the subject. He continued, shouting, "I have a feeling she needs our help, and you're the only one who can see me!"

My still slightly dazed self just smiled at Finn's actions, trying to process them in my mind. Before I could, however, the man whose cart I was riding began to speak.

"Oh, hey… Er, what was your name again?" He asked, which would have made me question my friendship with him, if we'd had one. But we didn't, so I merely responded appropriately.

"Haruka." I told him. "Haruka Katsu."

"Ah, that's right… Haruka…." The man muttered. It seemed like he was mainly muttering to himself, so I assumed he was just trying to process my name in his head. I didn't mind… after all, I often do the same thing myself.

He continued. "I'm Cain, the owner of Horn Ranch. Nice to meet you!"

I smiled to myself. _'Nice to meet you, too.'_ I thought, before he continued.

"It's only a little longer to your house." This made me frown inwardly. _'I'm running out of sleeping time!'_ "Would you mind if I asked you a few questions about yourself until we get there?"

Honestly, I did mind. I liked sleeping, and didn't appreciate Finn and this Cain person getting in the way of it. Still, it was rude to refuse, so I let him continue.

"It's just that it's so unusual for young people to want to start a ranch these days…."

Oh, so he was interested in that? Well then, there was no way I could say no. I decided, inwardly, that I'd answer his questions. He continued.

"Well, let me start with this. What's your favorite food?"

Now, how this related to my deciding to start a ranch, I had no idea, but I responded anyway.

"Vegetables and fruit."

"I see…" he continued, "And when's your birthday?"

Okay, this question had nothing to do with starting a ranch. I was hoping he was just going to tell the neighbors my answer, because they wanted to know, because the alternative reason why this man would ask me this type of question seemed a bit stalker-ish. With this comforting thought in mind, I answered.

"It's in late spring."

"Gotcha…." Cain replied. "Well, like I was saying, there aren't a lot of ranchers now…." I shrugged. Hey, I've been alone before, and I've been fine with it so far. Why not once more? Plus, I've got Finn with me, now….

"I hope that you'll be able to reinvigorate the town."

Now, if I hadn't been so tired, this would've alarmed me. What? Reinvigorate the town… who said anything about that? Way to put pressure on the new girl!

However, I was sleepy at the time, so I just went back to sleep, droning out the rest of his speech with my own silent snores.

* * *

…So that's what'd happened.

I snap back from my flashback. Back to the real world. With myself lying on the floor, in front of a sweat-dropping Cain.

"What _are_ you doing?" The man asks me, confused. I stand back up.

"Nothing!" I exclaim, brushing myself off. "J-Just tripped, sorry…."

He nods, and I nod back, smiling and thanking the man for the ride. Waving, we end our short conversation, and Finn and I turn away from Cain, running up to our new home.

* * *

As Finn and I get closer and closer to our brand new abode, we look around, taking in our surroundings. As I run, I spot multiple pink trees on a small field covered in sticks and weeds, a field I'm sure I'll be expected to use once I get something to use on it. A bit farther up the hill, a worn-down old barn comes into view… one that most definitely didn't match the one I saw in the add. Finally, the two of us reach our house—a tiny, broken down single-roomed building, with one tiny, rusty window, and a roof that looked like it could blow off at any second.

I was speechless.

…Had someone ripped me off?

After a moment of silence, Finn spoke.

"Uhh… This ranch is pretty beat up…." He whispered.

No shit.

Suddenly, we heard another voice call out to us.

"Hello! Helloooo!" The two of us turned.

In the distance, a rather large man was running up to us, his grey hair bouncing with every step he took. Upon reaching us (or just me, from his point of view), he stopped, panting heavily to catch his breath. The sprint must've taken the wind out of him.

After a few coughs, the man spoke, having regained his posture and become rather confidant now.

"Hello!" He said, "You must be Haruka!"

I nod, slowly, and he continues. "Welcome to Harmonica Town! I'm Mayor Hamilton!"

Nodding again, I smile. _'He must be here to talk about the land…'_ I think,_ 'Maybe he could teach me how I'm supposed to use it, too!'_

With this hopeful thought in my mind, I wait for the man to continue speaking. Instead of continuing, he turns to face the house. I follow him, instinctively, and look up at the house in a similar fashion. "Why don't I explain the basics about your ranch?" _'Yessssssssssss!'_

The mayor continues.

"It may look a bit rusty, but with just a little care, it'll look fabulous in no time!" Obviously, he was trying to get me excited about living in this junkyard he called a home. I just nod and smile, keeping my eyes on the man to see what he does next.

Suddenly, Hamilton does a 180, now facing away from the house. Of course, I imitate him. He gestures to the field I saw earlier.

"Behind you is your plot!" He tells me, still trying hard to rev me up and get me excited about working here. Finn adds to the excitement.

"Wow, this is great, Haruka!" The sprite exclaims, looking up at me. "You get a house and land for free? What a town!"

Now, this was true. The whole 'free' concept was one that appealed to me greatly… a concept that was about to be abolished.

"Oh, I nearly forgot!" Mayor Hamilton suddenly exclaims, right after Finn's comment. Almost as if he'd heard what Finn's said…. Well, of course, he couldn't have, right? He continues.

"You can make the 5000G payment for your new land at town hall!"

The mayor's grin grew wide as he said this. "There's no due date! You can pay it any time!"

Well, there goes that 'free' concept.

Finn sweatdropped. "Well, guess it was too good to be true…."

The mayor realized something else, jumping up again.

"Oh!" He exclaims, "And I also have this for you!"

He pulls out a box from his pocket, handing it to me, and I immediately open it. Inside, I see a small, folded up piece of paper, one whose thickness showed that it could expand to a much greater size than its current state.

"It's a map of the surrounding land!" Mayor Hamilton explained. "I'm sure it will be helpful to get you situated!"

Now, this was the first time in my whole conversation when I felt the Mayor's extreme enthusiasm was actually appropriate. A map! How useful! Being one with absolutely no sense of direction, I knew it would come in handy. I beam, jumping for joy at the gift, before folding it carefully into my small rucksack, so that I wouldn't lose it.

"And I have this for you too." The Mayor continues, his enthusiasm finally fading. Still, as he reached into his pocket, I couldn't help but think of an old infomercial: But wait! There's more!

The mayor took out a more rectangle-shaped gift this time, handing it to me. "You'll need this to start a ranch."

Taking the second present, I open it to find a large, brown book. On it, in curly-gold font, was its title: "Farming Starter Set". I grin as I put it away, jumping for joy again. Yay, more instruction! Hopefully I won't screw this job up, since I'm getting so much aid. Mayor Hamilton clasped his hands together at my response, cheerfully, before continuing his explanation of Finn and my new surroundings. He points off to the distance, to some area behind me, telling me the area was "Flute Fields". Flute Fields is an area where, according to Hamilton's instruction, there's another farm and ranch. "They can help you if you have questions." He tells me, looking off into the distance as I silently thank Goddess for all the aid I was receiving here. Quickly, still ignoring my actions, the Mayor turns again, pointing in the opposite direction this time. "Also…" he adds, "Opposite Flute Fields is Harmonica Town."

I nod. Okay, that seems pretty straightforward… go East to reach Flute Fields, West to reach Harmonica Town. I could follow that.

Mayor Hamilton points up the hill, past my house, to a path which led up to what appeared to be the mountains. "Head this way to get to the Garmon Mines." He instructs me, probably expecting me to remember that right away. Of course, I couldn't do such a thing. Thank Goddess for his map.

Mayor Hamilton continues again. "I've also left you some helpful books in your bookshelf!" The man continues, smiling. "If you're not sure about something, take a look! It's likely in a book!"

I add another prayer to my list: Thanks Goddess for Mayor Hamilton. I nod, enthusiastically, before listening to him again.

"Well, I'll be heading back to Town Hall." The Mayor tells me, obviously pleased with how much he helped me. It was easy to see his joy—he was smiling widely, like an idiot. Of course, I wouldn't hold it against this man to smile like an idiot all the time. But this time, he seemed especially happy. "Once you're ready, stop by the town!" He continues, still grinning from ear-to-ear, before bowing his good-bye. I wave in response, then watch him as he walks away, leaving me to do with my land whatever I wish.

Finn turns to me. "Well," he instructs, "Lets start by naming the ranch, Haruka!"

This surprised me. I could've sworn the ranch had come with a name… Waffle Ranch or something. Well, even if it hadn't, I wasn't going to change it now—that would just confuse me. So I told Finn.

"Waffle Ranch." I said, "That's what I want to name it."

Finn responded enthusiastically. "Waffle Ranch? That's a great name!"

I laugh, blushing a bit and scratching the back of my neck. It wasn't really my name idea- or, at least, it didn't feel like one—so being complimented on it felt a bit awkward. Still, since it might have been my idea, I accepted the compliment. Finn continued.

"We can find the Harvest Goddess in the Garmon Mine area!" The sprite beamed at the idea, hoping to meet the Harvest Goddess as soon as he possibly could. "The path to the northeast should take us there." He continued, and I nod, my serious face on now. The Harvest Goddess is a very important, well, Goddess, especially in these parts. Being able to meet her was definitely a great privilege.

Still, I can't hold my serious face for very long… after all, I just started a new adventure! I drop my serious look, take a glance up at my home, and beam. I'd be living here from now on. Even Finn seems pumped.

"All right, now lets hurry up and see the Harvest Goddess!" The small sprite exclaims, excitedly, pumping a fist up at the air. "I can't wait!"

I laugh, nodding and imitating his action.

"Our adventure starts now… lets go!"

I run past a surprised Finn, into the house, and listen as he gets past his shock and realizes something.

"Hey, Haruka!" Finn whines behind me, "You're not listening again!"

And with that, Finn flies in after me, and the two of us begin our new adventure.

* * *

I enter my new house and look around, interested in my new surroundings. The house was small, definitely not anything special. Surrounding Finn and me were brown-and-yellow painted walls, in front of which were a few things—a bookshelf, a small wardrobe, a box with tool-shaped markings engraved on it, and what I assumed was my bed. Decorating the wall by my bed was a single calendar, on which a few dates were already marked, and next to my bed I found a small table, on which a single book lied, labeled "Diary". I could only guess what that was.

In the middle of my single room there was a table and four chairs, looking lonely in the almost empty space.

Finn saw the bookshelf. "That's the bookshelf Mayor Hamilton was talking about." He tells me, "You should take a look!"

I note this in my mind. _"At some point, read a book."_ Shouldn't be too hard.

Finn then points at the Diary. "You can record your life at that bedside table." He tells me, "It might be a good idea, so that you can see how far you've come later on in your life here~"

Silently, I grin at myself. That _did_ sound like a good idea….

Finn then looks over at me, seeing my smile and replying to it with a smile of his own. "If you have any questions, just ask me in the future, 'kay?" I nod my response. "Of course!"

Finn grins even wider. "Good!" He replies. "Well then… you'd better get started!"

I nod again, before grabbing a book.

"What are you doing?" Finn asks me, apparently alarmed at my actions. Confused, I tell him. "I want to make sure I know everything before I start working, so I was going to spend today reading…."

Finn shakes his head and pulls the book away. "No way!" He tells me, "You're going outside, and you're learning about everything the hard way—through experience!"

I reach for the book. "But—"

"No 'but's!" Finn protests, taking the book and putting it back on the bookshelf. "You're going outside, and you're going to start off your new life by meeting your new neighbors!" Finn grabs me, who's now confused, by the back of my shirt, and drags me over to the door. I look up at him. "What neighbors?" I ask, confused, as he pulls me out of my new home. He lets go, letting me fall onto the floor. "Why, your neighbors in your neighboring towns, of course!" He exclaims, hands on his hips. "What, you thought you were the only one around here?"

"Well…."

"You're not." Finn says, in a teacher-like manner. "So go over and meet your new neighbors."

I nodded, but Finn just got angrier.

"Go on!" He exclaims, "Shoo!"

Surprised by Finn's new tone, I quickly get up and run away, off to search the new land… leaving Finn to rot away at home.

* * *

**_I hope you liked it!_**

**_More chapters to be added soon..._**

**_Please, R&R!_**


	3. Spring 1 Pt 2: Bo and Owen

**_Heyo!_**

**_I'm back~ Hoped you missed me! -^^-_**

**_This chapter's when Haruka meets Bo and Owen... hope you like it!_**

**_Please R&R~~_**

* * *

_Spring 1 Part 2: Bo and Owen_

"_Okay, I'm lost."_

This is what I'm thinking as I look around me. I know I was following a path up the hill, the one by my house, but I'm not sure to where the path leads. All I really know is that it's a path. And that, if I go backwards from where I was, I'd go home again. But I can't go home, or else Finn will attack me. And also, I don't know is which way is backwards anymore.

So I'm lost.

"…_I guess I'll just go straight ahead."_ I think to myself. _"After all, this path has got to lead _somewhere_, right?"_

With this thought in mind, I continue moving forward, hoping to find out where I'm going. Eventually.

After quite a few blindly taken steps, I look up and find that I'd stumbled across a bridge connecting two cliff sides. My curiosity lit up by this new discovery, I walk over to examine it. Unfortunately, it is broken down, uncrossable.

_'Well, that's disappointing.'_ I think, upset that I can't discover what is past it. The area behind it looks so interesting…

_'I really want to take a closer look,' _I think, taking another look at the bridge, before looking away. There was no way I could cross that….

I glance at the river underneath the structure, then back up at the land behind it. I couldn't help it… my curiosity was too strong! Looking at the river yet again, I think to myself.

_'…Maybe there's another way.' _

With this thought in mind, I begin a long, and probably very dangerous journey down the side of the cliff, hoping to somehow make it to the other side.

* * *

I was about to try to cross the river, when I heard the voice of a young man.

"What are you _doing_?" The man had shouted. I looked up.

There, atop the cliffside I'd just climbed down from, was a young boy with small blue eyes, spiky blond hair, and red freckles scattered across his face. He was accompanied by a man, appearing to be a bit older than myself, with short, red hair, and sharp eyes. He gave off the impression that he could be serious when he had to be.

Now was one of those times.

"Don't you know that this path is closed?"

I stopped by the riverside, looking up at the two boys, and bowed.

"Hello!" I called, "I'm Haruka Katsu… it's nice to meet you two!"

"Not now!" The red-haired man called again, angrily this time. "What are you doing? Don't you know that's dangerous?"

I looked over at the river I was about to jump into, then back at the man.

"Yeah."

He appeared to grow angrier at my response.

"Then why are you down there?"

I responded simply. "I want to know what's on the other side."

"So you decided to climb down and risk your life trying to cross the river?"

"Yup." I nodded, "Of course."

The two newcomers both sweatdropped.

"This girl… she's an idiot, isn't she." The younger one asked the other.

The redhead nodded. "It seems so."

Then, it became the younger boy's turn to speak.

"This bridge is getting fixed, y'know."

This caught my attention. I quickly climbed back up the cliffside. "So I'll be able to reach the other side soon?"

The boy nodded. "Yup…." He looked off towards the bridge, and the redhead grabbed my hand, trying to hoist me back onto the land. I let him, returning on shore, but mainly listened in to what the other was about to say.

"This bridge was damaged in the last big storm." The boy continued, "Storms like that never used to happen around here…."

I nodded, to show the boy that I was listening, and the redhead stood behind me, sweatdropping at the fact that the blond was all I was interested in at the moment.

The young boy sighed. "It's like something is wrong with nature… it's running out of control."

"Things like this are happening all over town." The redhead added, shaking his head defeatedly. "Everywhere, things are becoming worse and worse…."

The blond then realized something.

"Oh," He cried, "I forgot to introduce myself! I'm Bo. I'm training at the Carpenter's."

The redhead looked down at me, walking in front of me and adding, "I'm Owen. I'm a big-shot miner around here. It's nice to meet you." He held out a hand, which I promptly shook, before he reached behind his back and pulled out a hammer. He handed it to me.

"It's a bit used, but I figure you could use this. You're the new rancher, right?"

I nodded my response, and beamed up at the young man. "Yes, that's right!"

Nodding again, I took the hammer. He seemed pleasant enough, despite our rough first impressions of each other. Of course, that could've just been my gift-loving self talking. Who knows?

"Thank you for the gift, by the way." I told Owen, looking at my new tool. It was old looking, yes, but usable, and I was sure I'd be able to use it in the near future.

"Oh, yeah!" I heard Bo say, directing my attention towards him as he pulled out something of his own. He handed an axe over to myself, who was currently overwhelmed by the sudden flow of gifts, and told me: "It's used, but I'll give you this. You can use it to collect lumber."

I looked at the two new items and beamed.

"Wow…." I muttered to myself, "This is great!" Looking up at the two boys, I grinned again.

"Thanks, you two!" I exclaimed, before putting the items away in my rucksack. This was turning out to be a great day!

That's when I remembered what Bo had said. "Oh yeah… Bo, you said the bridge is getting fixed…?"

He remembered. "Oh, right! I asked Mayor Hamilton to bring me my toolbox so I can fix this bridge, but he hasn't returned with it yet. Without my toolbox, I can't do my work..."

The boy looked worried after this, so I piped in.

"Maybe I could bring your toolbox to you?" I asked, hopefully. "That way, you can fix this bridge!" _'And I can find out what's on the other side….'_

Bo looked up at me, hopefully. "Oh, could you?" He asked, "That would be great."

I nodded, enthusiastically. "Then I'll do that, definitely." I replied, grinning again. Before turning away, I wave.

"See you soon, Bo! It was nice meeting the two of you!" I call, before running off to find the Mayor, wherever he might be….

Off where I'd left the boys, I heard a farewell chime from each of them, as well as a small comment from Bo to Owen, one I probably shouldn't have heard.

"Owen," Bo said to his elder, "Your face is red."

"Shuddup." The other replied.

The rest of their conversation was too far away to hear.

* * *

**_Oooh, Owen, you just met Haruka! How could you be interested already? :O_**

**_Aww well, maybe you're just coming down with a cold or something._**

**_Next chapter'll be Day 1 Part 3, in which Haruka'll get the toolbox!_**

**_...Or, at least, I hope she does..._**

**_Wish her luck! And don't forget to R&R!_**


	4. Spring 1 Pt 3: The Boy with Purple Eyes

_**Hey, everyone! I'm back- this time with Chapter three!**_

_**In this chapter, Haruka meets Chase. She also explores Harmonica Town quite a bit, meeting *almost* everyone. Almost.**_

_**Anyway... Enjoy! -^^-**_

* * *

Spring 1 Part 3: The Boy with the Purple Eyes

Walking back down the path I'd followed earlier, this time away from the bridge, I looked around.

_'Now, where's Harmonica town again?'_ I asked myself, confused by my surroundings. I looked around. _'I know Mayor Hamilton told me where it was, but….'_

Then, I remembered his gift.

"Oh, that's right…." I mumbled to myself as I reached into my back pocket, trying to find the map Hamilton had given me. After a few moments of searching, I paused, and the color drained from my face.

I took my backpack off my back and spilled its contents onto the ground, picking through them to make sure I hadn't missed it, but it was certain. My map, key to unveiling the world around me, was missing.

I was lost.

Sure, I knew where my house was, so I wasn't _really _lost. No, not technically. However, Finn wouldn't let me into my house until I met everyone on Waffle Island, so I couldn't go back. He was stubborn like that.

'_What am I going to do?'_ I asked myself as a thin layer of cold sweat began forming on my skin. _'How will I find Mayor Hamilton's house now…?'_

"Who are you?"

As I heard a voice ask this, I looked up, curious of who the voice belonged to. Bending down in front of me was a boy, around my age, with blondish hair and big, purple eyes, which were staring at me with curiosity. The rest of his face was emotionless.

"Are you the new rancher everyone is talking about, maybe…?"

Slowly, I nod my head. "Y-Yes… I'm Haruka Katsu, it's nice to meet you…." I replied, still in fetal position. That is, except for my head, which couldn't help but stare back up at this purple-eyed mystery boy. "Who are you?"

The boy sweat-dropped and scratched the back of his neck, appearing to be nervous about speaking.

"I'm the bar's cook," The boy finally replied, "but we can't get ingredients… or customers, for that matter."

I wasn't sure why, but his nervousness bothered me.

Anyway, at least his discontent was backed up by a reason. He rested his elbow on a bent knee and his face on a lifted hand as he continued, muttering, "Without a good cooking fire, I couldn't cook anything decent anyway. What a joke."

_'How blunt_,_'_ I thought.

The boy sighed, lifting up his hands and shoulders into a shrug. He then stood back up, brought his hands in front of him, and clasped them together. "Anyway…" he continued, "I guess I should introduce myself."

'_That would be useful,'_ I thought, sweatdropping, _'Since you're the one who came and talked to me, yet I don't even know you.'_

The boy pointed a finger towards himself.

"I'm Chase." He told me, "I'm a cook at the Brass Bar."

With this introduction, the boy gave a slight smile, almost knocking the wind out of me from its impact. That was the first time I'd seen him smile since we'd met.

The grin only lasted for half a second, however, before Chase returned to the bored-looking expression he'd had before.

"The bar's open, but we're not serving any food right now." He told me, "Once we start serving food again, you should come by."

I blinked. "Is the bar in Harmonica town?"

"…Yeah…." Chase replied, confused.

I quickly jumped onto my feet, staring straight up at him. A huge, expectant grin had formed on my face.

"Could you bring me there, then?" I asked, hopefully. Maybe this Chase person could show me where Harmonica town was.

"I haven't seen Harmonica town yet, so I'd really appreciate it-!"

Chase stared at me for a moment, thinking, then finally sighed. "Fine, then, I'll show you around Harmonica town… but only this once, okay?" the boy told me, before walking southeast, towards a small path at the end of my farm's field. My eyes widened, and I beamed, jumping into the air with glee.

"Thank you!" I exclaimed, following after him. "So much-!"

The boy rolled his eyes. "Yeah, whatever." He muttered, and we both walked over to town together.

* * *

As Chase and I walked, I looked around. There was so much wildlife around here, so much… green. It was much nicer here than my old polluted city-home had been. While looking around, my gaze eventually drifted to the floor. Even the flooring around here was different. In the city, I was always walking on fancy marbled stones or concrete-lined streets. It was strange to just be walking on dirt for once.

After a bit of walking, my eyes staying glued to the floor, I stepped onto what appeared to be a stone walkway and ran into something soft… yet solid. I fell over backwards.

"O-Owww…." I muttered as I sat back up, rubbing my head, which had made impact with the ground during my fall. I looked up to see what I'd ran into and found myself looking into a pair of bored-looking purple eyes.

"Klutz…." Chase whispered under his breath as I stood back up. I'd heard him, but I was too mesmerized by my surroundings to care. Behind Chase, there was a big, grey building with two doors in it, one labeled "Camera Store" and the other "Town Hall". My gaze drifted to my left, and I saw a big, colorful array of multiple buildings, arranged so that they appeared to almost be on top of one another. The entire town was stretched out before me… and it was beautiful.

"…Wow…." I breathed, looking around.

Chase sighed. "It's not _that_ great, y'know."

"Maybe not to you…." I replied, before running in front of him. I just _had _to look around.

As I ran, I heard Chase behind me.

"Hey-!" He called, surprised by my sudden action, and I could hear his footsteps as he tried to catch up. I didn't care. I quickly jumped over to an area above what appeared to be a hotel and looked around. Across the city was the sea, and the view from where I was standing was impeccable.

"This is amazing…."

Chase sighed, looking up at me.

"Do you want to see the town or not?" He asked, obviously growing impatient, and I nodded, frantically.

"Y-Yes!" I called back down to him, "Yes, please!"

"Then come down from there!"

"R-Right!" I stammered, nodding again, before jumping off of the ledge I was looking out from. Chase freaked out.

"What do you think you're doing?" He cried, running over to the area beneath where I'd jumped. However, before he could reach it, I landed_. '10 Points!'_

Chase finally caught up to where I was now standing and began panting, doubling over so he could rest his arms on his knees. I looked at him, confused.

"Why were you running, Chase?" I asked, tilting my head towards him curiously.

After a few heavy breaths, Chase glared up at me.

"…Do you know how _dangerous_ that was, Haruka?" He asked me, beginning to lose his temper.

I frowned. "But I knew I was going to land…."

Angrily, Chase looked straight up at me. "Well, _I_ didn't!" He protested.

I starred back at him as he held his glare for a few seconds, before he turned away, shaking his head in a disapproving manner.

"Com'on…." The boy muttered, sticking his hands in his pockets and walking off to a store near the town hall. It had with clothing imprints decorating its signs.

He continued: "You want to meet all of the townspeople, right?"

After a moment of processing Chase's question, I beamed.

"Yes!" I called after him, "Thank you~!"

"Yeah, yeah…." Chase muttered, opening the door to the shop. "Now just come on already."

And so I ran over to him, and we both entered the shop together.

* * *

Quite a few shops later, Chase and I sat by the riverside, resting from our so-far exciting afternoon. So far, I'd met a woman named Yolanda and her cooking assistant, Maya (who kept starring at Chase during the entirety of our visit, which I dually noted), who both were working at a small motel under the management of a fairly wealthy-looking couple: Jake and Colleen.

After our visit to the hotel, Chase and I went to visit the bar where Chase worked: It was called the "Brass Bar." Inside, I met a girl named Kathy and a man named Hayden.

After visiting the Bar, Chase wanted to leave, but I somehow convinced him to continue showing me around, and he lead me over to the clothing store I'd seen before.

In the store, a kind-looking women, whose name I later learned to be Shelly, greeted me. Working beside her were her granddaughters Candace and Luna. They were both quite nice.

Chase almost left the clothing store without me, aiming to escape from the task I was making him do, but I caught him before he could, so he instead brought me over to the Clinic. At the clinic, I was greeted by a black-haired boy (Jin) and his grandmother, Irene. They both waved me goodbye when I left, telling me to stay healthy and leaving me with the idea that I could get used to this town, if everyone around here was like them!

After the Clinic, Chase showed me the Fishery, the lighthouse, and then introduced me to Simon at the Camera Store before finally bringing me over to the Town Hall.

"Here you are." Chase told me as the two of us walked over to the grey building. "Town Hall... the end of the line."

He glanced over at me. "This is pretty much everything in Harmonica Town. The Church is up there…" He pointed up the path leading from the Town Hall to the Church Grounds. "…But other than that, this is it."

I looked back up at him and smiled.

"Thanks, Chase!" I told him, "I couldn't have gotten here without you… thanks a bunch!"

I bowed, he left, and I was alone again. I looked up at the big building in front of me, which now seemed especially big because I was alone.

"So this is where the Mayor is, huh…." I muttered to myself, looking up and down at the building. My gaze rested at the door, and I paused, before reaching out and pushing it open.

Mayor Hamilton greeted me inside.

"Haruka!" He called, cheery as usual, "I've been waiting for you! Welcome!"

I walked further into the Town Hall and closed the door behind me. The room was simple-looking, with yellow-wallpapered walls and lying in the center. I also saw a large desk in one corner.

_'That must be where the mayor works,' _I thought as I glanced at it, its newly polished wooden surface reflecting my face back at me.

"This is Harmonica Town Hall!" Hamilton continued, never wiping the smile off his face, "You can buy land plots here."

"Have you already introduced yourself to everyone in town? You should! Come back when you're done."

I sweat-dropped. Hadn't I already met everyone? Maybe Chase missed someone….

I then remembered what he'd told me.

_'The Church is up there….'_

Oh! Maybe I still had to meet someone at the church? Yes, that had to be it.

Thanking Mayor Hamilton, I walked out, ready to keep exploring this town until Bo's toolbox was returned, and the bridge was fixed.

* * *

**_So, there you have it!_**

**_Hopefully, things'll start getting exciting next Chapter._**

**_Until then!_**

**_- 191-Lilangel-191_**

**_P.S. Don't forget to R&R!_**


	5. Spring 1 Pt 4: The Wizard

_**Hi again, everyone! It's me again, along with Chapter 4 of Haruka's Story.**_

_**In this story, Haruka meets the Wizard!**_

_**DISCLAIMER: If I owned Harvest Moon, you'd be able to own and ride unicorns as well as horses. But I don't, so Harvest Moon remains Unicorn-free... :(**_

_**Enjoy~!**_

* * *

Spring 1 Part 4: The Wizard

After meeting a man, who introduced himself as 'Peter', at the Church, I was finally done meeting everyone. I began walking down back to the Town Hall, when I noticed the sky darkening. It was getting late.

'_Shoot'_ I thought to myself, _'Finn will _not_ be happy if I return before completing Hamilton's request…."_

I stepped forward, ready to break out in a sprint, when I noticed something I must've missed before; on the ledge above the Clinic was another house, one I hadn't visited yet.

I remembered Finn, ready to keep going anyway, but realized that Hamilton probably wouldn't accept my finishing his quest until I met whoever was inside this newly discovered house. After a gulp of breath, I turned around and walked over, knocking on the front door of this house before carefully stepping inside of the dark room.

"H-Hello...?" I called, nervous as my voice echoed against the walls of the seemingly empty room. Suddenly, there was a noise from the other side of the room:

"Who's there…?" I heard a voice call from a balcony in the corner of the room. I turned and looked up at the balcony, nervously.

"A-Ah, yes, um, hi, there…." I muttered, stammering a bit. It was a bit creepy just hearing a man's voice from the balcony, since I couldn't see his face...

The voice continued. "I'm busy at the moment… I… don't want to be bothered…."

"B-But…." I muttered. _'I have to meet everyone… for Finn.'_

After a moment more, I changed my motives._ '…Or, at least, I have to see his face.'_

There was my curiosity again, getting the better of me.

After a moment of gathering my strength, I ran up the stairs, up to the balcony. As I ran, the door continued to open, releasing light into the otherwise unlit room.

"Who are you…?" I saw a man speak from the top of the stairs.

I froze in my tracks. He was beautiful... With dark skin and amazing eyes, each a different color: one was green, the other a stunning, yellow color… like a cat. He also had (what appeared to be) naturally grey hair, tied up into a braid on one side of his face. The strangest thing about him, however, was the marking he had under his yellow eye… a mysterious, white marking, which was partially covered by some of his hair.

This man… seemed mysterious.

_'Different.'_

I couldn't help but blush.

He also hadn't gotten his answer. "Who are you, and what are you doing in my house?" He asked, defensively, as he brought his hands in a defensive pose. "I warn you… If you take a single step closer... I can... curse... people..."

'_Curse people….'_ I wondered, _'Just what kind of a person is he?'_

I decided not to voice my question and instead answer his.

"I-I'm Haruka!" I replied, striking my own defensive pose. "Haruka Katsu…."

The man lowered his arms, but only a little bit. "…And the reason you're here is…?"

"I-I'm the new farmer! I-it's nice to meet you…." I bowed, returning back to standing position only to see the man ignoring me, looking out the telescope behind him. I sweat-dropped.

"Errr… and who are you?"

"Wizard." He muttered, glancing back at me. "Now, would you go, please? You're distracting me from my work…."

I frowned, surprised by his sudden lack of interest. But he wasn't going to get rid of me that easily….

Quickly, I walked over beside him, placing my head near the telescope eyepiece. Next to his.

"What're ya lookin' at?" I asked, curiously. This man seemed awfully consumed in his work….

Wizard glanced at me for a moment, then back at the eyepiece.

"The stars." He replied, bluntly.

"Why?" I asked, curiosity getting me yet again.

"Because I like them."

"Oh, do you?"

"Yeah, I do."

"Why do you like them?"

"Because I do!" Wizard snapped, looking up at me. Maybe I'd pushed him too far….

Instead of getting angry at me, however, his expression softened. "Would you like to see them?"

Surprised, I grew bashful at his question. I lowered my head and nodded, slowly. "Yes, please…."

He smiled. He _smiled._ I felt my chest grow tight. _'What is this…?'_

"Well then, look here."

Wizard moved away from his telescope, pointing at the eyepiece. Slowly, I lowered my head, and gasped at what I saw. There before me were millions, _millions_ of stars, surrounding the moon. The view was clear, perfect, and the moon's detail was better than I'd ever seen before, because of the telescope. It was amazing.

Slowly, I brought my head away from the machine, before beaming… mainly to myself. "It's beautiful."

I saw the Wizard smile at me in the corner of my eye, and I looked up at him.

For a moment, our eyes locked. Looking up at the boy I'd just met, my eyes widened. He smiled again, a second time… what was it about this smile that made me so happy? There was something….

My eyes drifted for but a moment, and I spotted a clock on the wall behind wizard. On the other side of the room. I froze.

'_Oh, crap.'_

I stood up, sprinting to the door.

"I-I'm sorry, Wizard, but I have to go…." I muttered, opening the door.

"Will I ever see you again…?" He called after me.

But I was already gone.

* * *

Luckily, I made it back to the Town Hall before it'd closed… but I was panting as I entered.

"Ah, Haruka!" I heard Mayor Hamilton call. "It seems you've met everyone… well done!"

After regaining my breath, I nod. "Th-that's right!" I exclaimed, "I have…."

Mayor Hamilton nodded. "…Oh, yes, I have a favor to ask of you, Haruka." He told me, before bringing out a toolbox. _'That must be Bo's….'_

"If you run into Bo, could you give this to him?" The Mayor continued. I nodded, and he handed me the toolbox. "Thanks, Haruka!" He told me, before looking at the clock. "Oh, yes, and speaking of which, the Town Hall is closing now… see you!"

The Mayor kicked me out, and I sweat-dropped, holding the toolbox in my arms. I looked up at the sky.

_'It really is late, huh….'_ I thought. A single star peeked out from behind a cloud, and I thought of the Wizard.

_'I wonder if I'll see him around town,'_ I wondered, before glancing back down at the box. _'…I guess I'll give this to Bo tomorrow….'_

And, with that, I turned around, finally heading home.

* * *

**_...And... scene!_**

**_Heehee, that's it! Until tomorrow, at least~_**

**_FYI, In the next chapter, I'll be writing in 2nd-person Point of View... not 1st. Also, next chapter is starting out at Chase's house... be prepared!_**

**_Oh, and please R&R! It feels like this fanfic is missing something... reviews would be very useful, in case you have any ideas of how I can improve it!_**

**_All ideas are welcome!_**

**_Anddd..._**

**_See ya!_**


	6. Spring 2 Pt 1: Returning Favors

**_Teehee... Hey, everyone! Me again, bringing you the beginning of day 2 in Haruka's story: Returning Favors. This chapter's a bit short, and it, as well as the rest of this story, will be in 3rd-person POV. This chapter also begins at Chase's house... so be prepared! ;)_**

**_Enjoy~_**

* * *

Spring 2 Part 1: Returning Favors

_Knock! Knock! Knock!_

At 8am, and Chase heard someone knocking on his front door.

'_What sane person would try to wake me up at this hour?'_ He wondered, folding up his apron and placing it by the kitchen, where he'd been cooking his morning breakfast. He walked over and opened the door, only to find a cheerful little farmer beaming up at him.

"'Mornin', Chase!" Haruka sang, walking into his home. No, he didn't invite her. Yes, she'd just met him yesterday. She didn't care. Chase shut the door behind her, surprised. His eyes didn't reflect his emotions, though, as they looked as bored as ever.

"What are _you_ doing here, Haruka?" Chase asked the girl, leaning against the door he'd just closed. She turned around to face him, and he raised an eyebrow as she lifted something up to his face.

"Here!" She told the cook, "Take them!"

Confused, Chase took the offered items, which, upon further inspection, were a couple of raspberries. He looked back down at the girl, who was grinning from ear-to-ear. "…Why are you giving me these?"

Haruka laughed. "As a thank-you gift, of course! For helping me out yesterday!"

Oh, yeah. Yesterday.

Chase frowned. He hadn't forgotten yesterday's event… how Haruka had made him spend his day showing her around town, not allowing him to escape to do his own work. He turned his head away.

"This doesn't compensate for what you made me do."

Haruka shrugged. "I know, but it's a start."

Seeing Chase's lack of response, she winked up at him. "How 'bout if I give you some berries every day? You're a cook, aren't you?"

She beamed, clasping her hands together. She liked this idea. "You can experiment with what I give you! The berries'll be different each day, but I'm sure you can use them to your advantage."

Chase stayed silent. Haruka looked up at him, giving him the best impression of a puppy that she could possibly muster.

"I'll be your bestest buddy~" She whimpered, innocently.

"…Fine!" Chase spat, pocketing the berries. "Just this once, I'll forgive you for yesterday."

Haruka beamed. "Yay! Thank you~!"

It was around now when Finn finally entered Chase's house, landing on Haruka's shoulder. After Haruka'd met everyone in town, Finn had let her back in her house, where she'd told him about everyone. This morning, before visiting Chase, Haruka had also gotten Bo to fix the bridge, and she'd explored Flute Fields, where she'd found Chase's house. Thus was the real reason why she was here.

But she wouldn't tell him that.

Besides, after making Chase show Haruka around Harmonica town yesterday, giving him gifts in return for the favor was the LEAST she could do. This had turned out perfectly! Haruka smiled inwardly.

Seeing Chase turn around, however, Haruka's inward smile dropped. She tried to think of something to talk with Chase about.

"So, anyway, I met the Wizard yesterday…." Haruka muttered, trying to keep up her conversation with Chase. Chase, on the other hand, had returned to his cooking, not even attempting to hold her convo. But Haruka wouldn't give up that easily—she had a serious question to ask him.

"Why didn't you introduce me to him yesterday?"

Chase glanced at Haruka for a moment, before shaking his head and continuing to scramble his morning eggs. "That man isn't worth being introduced to."

Haruka gasped.

"What are you saying? He's definitely worth meeting! …Haven't you ever held a conversation with him before?" She pouted. "Or are you too antisocial for even that?"

Chase stressed a vein, turning back to face Haruka, eggs still in hand. "I am _not_ antisocial!" He practically yelled. Haruka raised an eyebrow. "Oh, really?"

"It's true!" The man protested, before glaring at the girl. After a moment, he turned back around to finish his meal. "…How would you know what I am and am not, anyway?"

Haruka sat on the countertop beside him, shrugging. Poor Finn struggled to stay on her shoulder without falling off. "I tend to know these things. Call it a gift."

Chase shook his head. "Either way…." He glanced up at the clock above his kitchen, then back at the farmer, who was swinging her legs off the side of the counter. "Shouldn't you get going now? I'm sure you have lots of work to do…."

Finn glared up at Haruka, his little arms shaking as he tried to steady himself on the farmer's arm.

"Haruka, we really _should_ get going now…." He told her, trying to remind her of the seed planting-and-watering she was neglecting by being here. Haruka shrugged again, causing Finn to fall off.

"Oh, I could spare a few minutes more…."

As she spoke, she swung her legs back and forth. One accidentally hit the table behind Chase, its impact causing the piece of furniture to rattle. After a few seconds, the vase that had been on the table fell off of it, causing a loud crashing noise to echo through the room.

Chase glared at Haruka.

Haruka smiled up at the cook, sheepishly.

"I think it's time for you to leave." The cook told (no, commanded) Haruka, wiping his hands on his apron. Haruka could have sworn she heard the chef's knuckles crack through the apron, and she could almost see an angry aura around him.

Haruka sweat-dropped, but couldn't help but nod as a response to the Chef's offer. Quickly, she ran over to the door.

Right before exiting, Haruka called to Chase. "See you tomorrow….~"

And with that, she made her exit.

Chase sighed after Haruka'd left, walking over to examine his now-broken vase. It'd been a nice one, too….

* * *

**_That's it for this chapter!_**

**_Next chapter will be when you all learn why Haruka was brought to Waffle Island... well, Finn's reason, at least._**

**_I hope you liked this chapter! Don't forget to R&R!_**


	7. Spring 2 Pt 2: Haruka's Mission

_**Buon giorno, mi amichi!**_

_**I'm back, yet again, with Part 2 of Haruka's second day on Waffle Island.**_

_**In this section, you learn why Finn brought her to Waffle Island and what her purpose is here.**_

_**Hope you like it~!**_

* * *

_Spring 2 Part 2: Haruka's Mission_

Hurrying away from Chases house, Haruka sighed. And here she'd hoped he'd be _willing_ to distract her from her work… oh, had she been wrong.

As Haruka crossed the bridge separating Flute Fields from her own land, she stopped, looking at her hand. Well, at least she'd been able to give him the raspberries… she smiled. Then, she remembered what else she did.

"_Oh, I could spare a few minutes more…."_

_Swing._

_Bonk._

_Crash._

Haruka sighed. Breaking Chase's vase was most definitely _not_ something she'd planned to do. Harass the boy… maybe. But not break his stuff.

She took a breath and looked up at the sky. Well, what's done is done. She can't really take back her actions _now_.

_ ..…But maybe she could get Chase a vase to replace the one she broke?_

This got Haruka thinking.

'_But how…?'_ She asked herself, spacing out as she walked right past her farm.

"H... H-Hey, Haruka…. Your farm….." Finn protested as the girl walked, grabbing her sleeve and trying to pull her back over to her farmland. "What about your work? We have to become 'Hero' workers to ring the fifth bell and summon the Harvest King, remember?"

Haruka stopped for a moment at Finn's reminder. He was right, of course… she had to become a 'Hero' to ring the bell. But she didn't have to do that _now,_ did she?

Haruka turned around, finally giving in to Finn's protests, and began heading towards her farmland to plant her newly obtained seeds, all the while replaying her meeting with the Harvest Goddess earlier today on her head, to see if she could remember the Goddess including any form of a due date by which she had to complete her quest.

* * *

"Welcome, Haruka." The goddess greeted as the young farmer walked towards the Goddess Spring. Surprised by the sudden appearance, Haruka'd stepped back, holding her arms up to defend herself against the mysterious floating woman before her. Finn hit her on the head at her response… rather hard, actually.

"That's the Harvest Goddess, you idiot!" He told Haruka, angrily. "Remember? The whole reason why we're here…?"

Haruka sweat-dropped. Oh, right.

The woman smiled gently at the farmer's response and outstretched her arms. "Welcome, miss Haruka Katsu." Haruka just sweat-dropped.

"She knows my name…?" She whispered to Finn, confused. Finn just smiled.

"The Harvest Goddess knows everything." The sprite exclaimed, his eyes lazily returning to the goddess as he spoke. He smiled wider. "That's what makes her so wonderful…."

Haruka, a bit creeped out by Finn's comment, decided to ignore it. She was distracted by the appearance of the Harvest Spring, anyway.

In front of her, behind the Harvest Goddess, an almost dead-looking tree stood. In front of the goddess, four little sprites sat, all similar-looking to Finn. However, unlike Finn, they were each different colors: There was one red one, one yellow one, one blue one, and one green one. It felt like one was missing….

Looking back up at the goddess, Haruka frowned. "Miss goddess…" She asked, "is there a reason why you brought me here?"

The goddess smiled. "You are a bright one, Haruka…" She told the farmer, before asking, "Do you know of the five elemental bells?"

Haruka frowned again, this time confused. "Five elemental bells…?"

"Yes, the five bells… the red bell, yellow bell, blue, green… and purple." The goddess said, eying Haruka as she spoke of the last color. Haruka glanced back down at the sprites she'd seen earlier, listing off their colors: Red, yellow, blue, green….

"The purple bell…" Haruka whispered, before looking at the goddess again. "Is it missing?"

The Harvest Goddess smiled, sadly this time. "That is correct. You see, a few years ago, all of the bells went missing. Another farmer came to revive them, but, sadly…." The goddess grew quiet, shifting her glance to the floor. "…She passed away."

"How…?" Haruka asked, worried. The goddess smiled again, reassuringly. "Old age. That was the reason for her death… so don't worry. It wasn't anything serious. She'd taken too long trying to bring back the bells, is all, and she eventually got to old to search anymore, and, well…."

The woman-like goddess shook her head. "Anyway, the reason why the other farmer had come to revive the bells was because the Goddess Tree, the source of this land's power, is dying."

The goddess patted the tree behind her. "The only way to revive the Goddess Tree is by summoning the Harvest God, and the only way to do that is by finding and ringing all five elemental bells."

Haruka nodded. "But, because you can't find the purple one, you can't ring all the bells, right?"

This time, it was the Harvest Goddess' turn to nod. "And that's why you're here."

Haruka's eyes widened. "Me…? Why me?"

The goddess' smile softened at Haruka's question.

"Because," she replied, "You have heart."

Haruka grew confused. Heart? She had heart? …What was that?

Finn piped in. "But, surely, there are other people with heart, as well, right?"

This time, the goddess' face grew sad, and she shook her head again. "No… unfortunately, people have grown embarrassed to show heart… they believe it's a sign of weakness."

Finn frowned. "But it's not!" He protested, and the goddess sighed. "I know it's not… but many people think it is. They think being passionate about something is 'lame' or have some ridiculous reason not to put their all into what they want to do…."

Returning her gaze back to Haruka, the goddess smiled again. "But you're different, Haruka. You have heart, and you're not afraid to show it. Plus, you're pure." Haruka could've sworn she'd seen the Harvest Goddess' eyes glitter for a moment as she spoke of the farmer: "You're perfect."

Haruka blushed lightly at the compliments, shifting her eyes to the floor and scratching the back of her head, nervously.

"Ahaha, thank you…." She muttered, before looking back at the goddess. "So, because I have 'heart', you chose me…?"

"Yes." The Harvest Goddess replied, "You must ring the purple bell by speaking to Edge, the purple bell's guardian, at the Church after making ten close friends on this island."

"Why must I make ten close friends?" Haruka asked, confused.

The Harvest Goddess smiled again. "The purple bell is the bell of heart. To ring it, you must discover the wishes of at least ten people and tell them to Edge, so Edge can fulfill their wishes and gain enough confidence to ring the bell." The goddess' expression turned sad. "At the moment, poor Edge is too lonely to ring the bell. He was originally the spirit of a shrine in the Church, but no one visits his shrine anymore, so he's beginning to believe he's not needed. Telling Edge the wishes of the people around here will show him that the people still need and love him, giving him the confidence to ring his bell proudly."

"Oh…." Haruka muttered, "So it's because… he's lonely…."

After a moment of remembering something in her own past, Haruka shook her thoughts out of her head, before nodding up at the goddess. "I understand."

The goddess smiled. "I knew you would." She told Haruka, before placing a hand on the farmer's shoulder.

"Good luck, Haruka." The goddess said, warmth in her eyes as she smiled down at the young girl. "I know you can do it."

Haruka smiled appreciatively back up at the goddess. "Thank you." She replied, holding her gaze on her for a little while. After a moment, however, Haruka slowly pulled away from the goddess and turned around. Before anything else, she beamed at the goddess behind her.

She called off to the goddess. "I'll do my best~!"

And, with that, Haruka ran away from the Goddess Spring, ready to fulfill her quest.

* * *

After remembering the entire event, Haruka realized that the Goddess _hadn't_ included a due date for the quest to be done by. Judging by how the last quest-taker had died before she'd been able to finish her quest, Haruka could only assume she had to finish her job before she died.

…That seemed doable.

However, the goddess also hadn't mentioned anything about having to become a 'Hero'.

Haruka stopped her seeding. She turned to Finn.

"Wait a moment, Finn!" She exclaimed, angrily. "What's this 'Hero' stuff? The Harvest Goddess didn't mention anything about that!"

Finn sweat-dropped. "It took you this long to realize that…?" He whispered to himself, disbelievingly. Haruka heard him.

The farmer threw her seeds at the sprite.

"Jerk!" She shouted, standing up.

Right before she turned around to leave the sprite and her field, Haruka realized she didn't have anything better to do then her job, anyway. She paused, before sitting back down. She collected her seeds from the ground, the ones she'd thrown.

"…I guess I could work, anyway." She muttered, continuing to plant her seeds, one-by-one.

Finn smiled, floating above Haruka and patting her head.

"Good, Haruka… that's the way."

Haruka smiled. Sometimes, even Finn could be nice.

With this thought in mind, Haruka finished planting her seeds and watered them, nourishing each soon-to-be-plant until the sun set in the distance.

* * *

_**What will tomorrow bring to Haruka, I wonder?**_

_**Who knows...**_

_**See y'all next time!**_

_**...Oh, and don't forget to R&R~**_


	8. Spring 5 Pt 1: Witches and 'Shrooms

_Hello, everyone! I'm back~! :D_

_Did you miss me? I know you did. Well, that's good, 'cuz I missed you, too!_

_And, of course, I missed writing for you all. Speaking of which, lets get back to my story! Com'on, vamanos~_

* * *

_Spring 5 Part 1: Witches and Shrooms_

A group of tree branches rustled as they were moved to the side of the forest, clearing a path through to a wide acre of land. Haruka stepped into the clearing. Finn followed close behind, trying hard to keep up with the girl in front of him. Upon reaching the clearing, the two looked around.

"So this is the Fugue Forest, nee…." The girl muttered to her companion. The small sprite nodded his head. "The Witch lives somewhere deep within it."

Haruka nodded back as she stepped over a fallen tree. "So, to reach her, we have to get past all these clearings, right?" She asked her friend, who had stopped his earlier struggle to face a new one: a fallen leaf had fallen onto his head, and he was trying to get it off. To no avail.

The farmer giggled at the sprite's actions and grabbed the leaf herself, lifting it off of his head delicately. Finn coughed.

"Thanks." He told her, "And yes, that's right."

Haruka grinned. "No prob." She turned to the path in front of her… it seemed to lead to another clearing. She began to walk towards it.

Finn flinched. He hurried back beside her. "So… err… do you know where we're going?"

Haruka stopped and glanced at the sprite, before continuing her stride down the path. "We just have to follow this trail." She pushed aside a tree branch to reveal the next clearing. It was scattered with trees and boulders, some bigger than others, and, upon further inspection, a path was located to the right of the area. Haruka walked towards it. "Each trail leads to another clearing, right?"

Finn frowned, glancing up at the girl. "How did you know that?" He asked, as the girl came across yet another clearing. She shrugged, smiling knowingly. "Lucky guess?"

With that, she continued walking into the clearing, in search of another path. Finn followed her, hurrying to catch up, until he spotted something's sparkly out of the corner of his eye….

"Hey," He called to his companion, "Haruka, wait up!"

Haruka stopped and turned around, trying to find the small sprite in the forest area. She frowned. "What is it?"

"I found something." Finn called back, and Haruka hurried over to see what it was.

Haruka kneeled down at the object in front of her sprite, examining it.

"…Why is it sparkling?" She asked, confused. She tilted her head slightly to the side in question. "Is it… poisonous… or something…?"

Finn frowned, floating closer to the object to get a better look. "…It seems to be… glowing…."

Carefully, Haruka reached out and grabbed the mushroom. Finn flinched, looking up at the girl.

"Don't _touch_ it!" He cried, freaking out a bit. "It could be dangerous!"

Haruka looked at the mushroom, then set her eyes on Finn. Then, back to the mushroom.

She held it out to the sprite. "It _could_ be, but it's not… see?" She told the little creature as she rubbed it against his head. Finn squealed, struggling to get away, but not successfully… Haruka had grabbed on to him with her other hand and was keeping him where he was, torturing the little man with the glowing fungi playfully.

Finn cried. "Knock it off!" But Haruka kept going giggling a bit. "But it's so _fun_!"

As Haruka played with Finn, she stepped back a bit in her crouched position. She ended up stepping on a branch, and fell back, rolling through another path… this one leading to a bridge, it seemed, which led over a swamp and to a house. Haruka landed in this area on her stomach, with a 'thud', and Finn gasped. Suddenly, Haruka heard a voice loom over her sprawled-out body.

"What _are_ you doing?" A female voice asked, obviously amused. Haruka's face paled… this was _not_ the first impression she had wanted to make with the Witch. She quickly let go of both the mushroom and the sprite, letting Finn fly free as she turned over to her back and sat up.

When she glanced up, she found herself looking into a pair of amber eyes, not at all similar to the purple eyes she'd seen the other day. These eyes were different. They were accompanied by a smiling face. Long silver hair framed the female face before Haruka, and the farmer gulped as the girl before her's mouth opened, letting out a cackling laugh.

"Hello, little missy." The woman told the girl, grinning widely. "Welcome to the Witch's house."

* * *

_Hope y'all liked this little chapter~_

_Yes, this is the first time Haruka's ever seen the Witch! Hopefully, she'll be okay... I guess you'll just have to wait 'till the next chapter to find out what happens to her!_

_Until then~!_

_191~LilAngel~191_


	9. Spring 5 Pt 2: Such a Witch!

_Heyas, everyone! I'm back~!_

_Sorry for not uploading for so long... but I'm here now! And back with a really long chapter. This one is pretty much just the Witch conversing with Haruka. It ends kinda suddenly, so be prepared. Hope you like it!_

_DISCLAIMER: If I owned Harvest Moon, those hot springs in Animal Parade would be usable all the time. But I don't. So you can only use 'em once per day. :(_

_Enjoy~!_

* * *

_Spring 5 Part 2: Such a Witch!_

Haruka stammered as she looked up at the silver-haired witch before her, wondering what she should do as the woman identified her.

After a moment, the Witch shrugged. "You seem okay." She muttered, before announcing, "So I'll talk to you. Com'on, com'on."

The Witch snapped her fingers, and Haruka and her stuff all lifted up above the ground, floating after the Witch. Haruka, baffled by what was going on, frantically swung around her arms and legs in an attempt to get back to the ground. She failed, of course, but Finn followed after her as she floated into the Witch's house.

With an "Oof", Haruka landed on a large, purple bed. Glad to be back on ground, she breathed a sigh of relief as she looked around. To her right, Haruka found two small bookshelves lined with books. In front of one of the shelves was a white, round table, on which sat a small candelabra, housing two white candles. Behind the bed she sat on was a small cabinet, likely holding the Witch's clothing, and under the bed was a small pink rug, decorating the brown floorboards the Witch stood on.

Eventually, Haruka laid eyes on the Witch. She was standing by a large, black pot in the corner of the room, turning a large, wooden spoon (Haruka could only guess that was what she was using, since half of the object was in the pot) in what appeared to be a mixture of some sort. It was probably a special drink… a potion. Haruka couldn't tell for sure, but it was to be expected that a Witch brew up potions for her 'uninvited guests'… right? I mean, who would want random trespassers, such as Finn and herself, walking onto their property uninvited? Haruka began to regret her actions in her mind, pleading that the Goddess might forgive her… preferably before the Witch finished her solution.

After examining the entire room, a new question rose to the farmer's mind. _'Hey, where's Finn?'_ Haruka wondered, realizing his disappearance. Maybe the Witch had taken him when she wasn't looking and added him to her potion. Or maybe she was holding him hostage, hoping to get something out of Haruka in return for the little man (sprite?). Or something.

Haruka watched in horror as the Witch turned to her, a cup of something in her hands. It had to have come from the concoction she'd been making. The Witch sat on the bed next to the girl. Haruka could've sworn her heart stopped for a moment when the woman held the cup out to her.

"Drink it." She commanded, but Haruka refused. She wasn't going out without a fight.

The Witch frowned, surprised. "You refuse?" She asked, seemingly shocked. "Why do you refuse? You should feel honored to eat my snacks!" The woman sighed and shook her head. "You're weird." She muttered, before taking a sip of the drink herself.

Haruka was surprised. The Witch just drank her own potion! Was she an idiot? Was she going to transform at any second into something weird? Haruka starred at the woman for a few minutes, waiting for something to happen… but nothing did.

"…What is that?" She finally asked the woman after a few minutes, referring to the drink. The Witch glanced at her.

"Tea." She replied, smugly. "Are you ready to have some now?"

Haruka frowned at the drink. There was no way it could really just be tea, was there…? Her curiosity got the better of her again… and, slowly, she nodded her head.

Upon seeing Haruka's response, the Witch nodded back at the farmer. "Alright, then." She stated, placing her own cup on the ground. She began to stand up to get the second glass, but Haruka stopped her.

"A-Ah!" She protested, holding an arm up in front of the Witch. The Witch glanced at her, sitting down skeptically, and Haruka lifted up the glass she'd drunken out of. "Can I use this cup?" She asked, cupping the glass in both hands.

The Witch stared at the farmer like she was insane. "…You really are weird." She muttered after a few seconds, but then shrugged. "But I guess you can use that cup if you want."

Haruka nodded, before carefully bringing the cup up to her lips. She still wasn't sure if the Witch was lying or not, so she couldn't help but keep caution. What if the Witch was immune to the potion? Or if she'd tricked Haruka and hadn't really drunken any of it? All these thoughts began arising in poor Haruka's head… but it was too late to back out now. Haruka tipped the glass upwards, allowing the liquid to pour into her mouth, down her throat: _'Goodbye, cruel world….'_ She thought, and a single tear rolled down her eye, and…

…And nothing happened.

For a few moments, Haruka just sat like that: cup to her lips, tilted so she could drink the liquid the Witch had made, a single streak of salt water drying on her face. As Haruka began to realize the drink wasn't going to do anything, she started to actually taste the liquid. It tasted sweet… exactly like peach tea. She lowered the glass.

Upon seeing Haruka's tear, the Witch frowned. "Was it really that bad?" Haruka glanced at the pouting Witch, slightly confused. She hadn't poisoned her…? She held her gaze as she thought.

The Witch. Rumored to be one of the most evil (and least social) people on Waffle Island, the Witch was… well, she was a Witch. And despite this, from Haruka's current perspective, she didn't seem too bad.

_'Famous last words….'_ The farmer thought, before she heard the Witch speak. "Why are you looking at me like that…?"

Haruka stopped and turned away, blushing slightly. She hadn't realized she'd been starring.

"S-Sorry…." She whispered, placing her glass on the ground, next to the bed. She turned back to the Witch. "It's just…" She started, looking up at her. "Why didn't you poison me?"

The Witch paused at Haruka's question, freezing up for a moment, before bursting into laughter. Haruka, who'd been serious with her question, merely looked up at the woman, confused.

Noticing Haruka's confusion, the Witch stopped, staring back down at her. "What, you're serious?" Haruka nodded, and the Witch sighed. "I have no reason to do something as silly as that." She grabbed Haruka's glass, now empty, and brought it back to her kitchen area. Haruka watched in awe as the woman threw the cup into the air, not caring where it landed.

"Witc—" Haruka began, but stopped when she saw the glass freeze in the air. It floated into a sink, next to the Witch's black pot, and began washing itself off in a stream of water that was flowing out of the faucet. Haruka could only wonder how that was possible, considering that the sink had no knobs. Nevertheless, the glass continued to wash itself, quickly spinning to dry itself off before sliding easily into a nearby cupboard, clean as it was before it had been used… if not cleaner.

"What are you starring at now?" A voice said next to Haruka, and Haruka jumped 10 feet above the bed. At least, that's what she felt like she did.

Haruka returned her gaze to the Witch, who had returned to her old sitting position beside her, glancing at the farmer boredly. Haruka's eyes were wide with amazement, though.

"How did you do that?" She asked, blown away with the Witch's performance. The Witch frowned, confused.

"Do what?" She asked. Haruka gestured to the cup. "…_That!_" She emphasized, and the Witch paused. Then, she laughed.

"My my, you humans are entertained easily, aren't you?" The Witch said, patting the poor farmer on the head. "It's alright, young one. Maybe you'll learn one day."

The farmer remained confused as the Witch noticed something else. Suddenly, she stood up from the bed and walked over to a pile in the middle of her room. The Witch bent down in front of the pile, which Haruka realized was a pile of the stuff she'd been carrying around before finding the Witch's house. Haruka frowned. Why hadn't she noticed it there before? Suddenly, the Witch stood back up.

As she stood up, Haruka noticed that she was holding the sparkling mushroom she'd found before. The one Finn had thought was dangerous. Finn….

"Where's Finn?" Haruka blurted out, causing the Witch to turn towards her. Haruka formed a glare from her eyes, which she directed at the Witch, as she starred back. The Witch stayed silent for a little while, causing Haruka to begin assuming the worst. Maybe he had been in the potion, after all.

Haruka felt the air around her chill as she imagined the possible fates of her tiny-winged friend. The Witch merely continued to stare at her. The seconds became minutes, and the minutes felt like hours. Then, a mischievous grin.

"Buahahaha!" The Witch burst out in laughter, tilting her head back as the farmer continued to worry. However, when the Witch's gaze returned to Haruka, it seemed lighthearted.

"Your little friend is fine, young lady." The woman cackled, turning her back to Haruka. "He just took a bit of a wipe out when I tried to lift him up earlier… using magic on others who contain it can be pretty exhausting on both sides, y'know."

When the Witch turned back around, she held a small, sleeping sprite in her hands. He was breathing softly, rhythmically, and cuddling his arm under his own head. _'Finn.'_

Before she even realized what she was doing, Haruka lunged for the sprite taking him in her arms and cuddling him. She never thought she'd be as glad to see the little guy as she was now.

Haruka's actions shocked the Witch. Her gaze froze on the farmer. Then, she laughed again. "You really are an interesting one." The Witch told the farmer, placing a hand on her hip. "What did you say your name was again?"

Haruka froze, glancing up at the Witch skeptically. Should she really trust this woman with her name? Well, she hadn't done anything bad yet….  
"…It's Haruka." She replied, "Haruka Katsu."

The Witch contemplated this. "Haruka Katsu… doesn't that mean 'Distant Victory' or something?" She asked, chuckling a bit. "What an interesting name for such an interesting human…."

But Haruka wasn't listening. She was too busy examining Finn, making sure he wasn't injured or anything. Glancing up to finally acknowledge the Witch, she saw a hand being held out to her.

"I'm the Witch." The Witch told her, confidently waiting for the human to shake her hand. After a moment, she did, and the Witch turned around. It was when she did this that Haruka noticed that she was still holding Haruka's mushroom. The one from earlier. Haruka frowned. "Actually, 'the Witch' isn't my real name, but you don't have to know what that is." The Witch continued, "Just call me 'the Witch' for now."

But Haruka wasn't listening. "Hey!" She shouted at the woman, "Isn't that mine?"

The Witch, hearing Haruka's outburst turned to her. She glanced down at the 'shroom, then back up at the farmer. "Yeah, so?"

"That's not yours to take." Haruka told the Witch, but she shrugged and turned back around. "Just consider it your gift to me… in return for you coming over and invading my home."

"But I didn't invade it, you—" "Hush!" The Witch called back to Haruka, more seriously this time. "It's mine now, and that's final."

The Witch greedily glanced back down at her new possession, before throwing it up in the air, just like what she'd done to the cup. Also like the cup, the mushroom floated into a nearby cabinet, then out of site. The Witch smiled and turned back to her pot of mystery liquid, which was now bubbling. "Ooh! It's almost done."

Haruka frowned, Finn still sleeping soundly in her hands. "What's almost done?"

The Witch grinned. "My newest creation… a potion. One that'll help revive the goddess tree."

Haruka's ears perked up at this. She quickly stood up. "You know about the tree, too?" She asked, hopefully, but the Witch merely scoffed at her.

"'Course I do!" She replied, giving the spoon in her pot a quick stir. "All the magical creatures around here do: the sprites, the Wizard… heck, pretty much the only ones who don't seem to know about it are the humans. And even they have an _idea_ that something's wrong…." She paused at this, before turning back to Haruka. "Speaking of which… how do _you_ know about the tree?"

Haruka smiled. "The tree is the reason why I was sent out here. I'm here to revive the power of the tree."

The Witch held back a chuckle. "Good luck, kid. The last one who came to do that died before fulfilling her task. There's no way you could do any better."

Haruka frowned. What was with this woman, laughing at Haruka's mission? "Well, I will." She retorted, crossing my arms. "Just watch me."

The Witch turned back to Haruka, frowning this time. "Listen, girly." She announced, "We've been trying to revive the tree for years. If none of us can do it, neither can you." She shook her head, turning back to the pot. "You might as well get rid of your little spritey-friend now and try to at least have a semi-normal life here on Waffle Island. Before you end up like the last farmer who came here with that mission…." The Witch's voice lowered a bit at this end part… quite a bit. In fact, Haruka couldn't really make out anything the woman had said after 'Island'. She frowned.

"Well, you won't know until you've tried!" Haruka protested again, turning her head away from her current competitor. The Witch stressed a vein. She turned to Haruka.

"I _have_ tried!" She exclaimed, angrily. Haruka took a step back, alarmed by the Witch's sudden animation. But the Witch turned back to her potion, remaining silent.

"…What happened?" Haruka finally asked, curious. When the Witch didn't answer, she tried again. And again. Each attempt probed at the Witch a bit more. Finally, she snapped. She turned back to Haruka.

"I turned into a frog, okay?" She screamed at the farmer, her face red with both embarrassment and frustration.

An awkward silence.

Then, a small giggle.

"Wh-What?" The Witch yelled at Haruka again, her entire body turning tomato-colored as Haruka burst into a series of giggle fits. "S-Sorryy…." The young farmer murmured between gasps of what was turning into an all-out laughing session. "B-but… a _frog_? How did you manage to turn into _that?_ Heck, how did you manage to get _out _of that?"

The Witch starred at the laughing girl before her, before glancing down at her feet, embarrassed. "I… was saved by the Wizard."

At this, Haruka ceased her laughter. She snapped her head up to look back over at the embarrassed Witch. The Wizard? He saved her? Why—

"He took a damn long time to save me, too!" The Witch snapped, interrupting Haruka's thoughts. "Though I could've saved myself, if that damn girl hadn't informed him of what I'd transformed into…."

Haruka frowned. "What girl?"

"What girl do you think?" The Witch retorted, sending a glare over to Haruka before placing her gaze back on her pot. She picked up her spoon and turned it around in her pot again. "…Molly."

Haruka frowned. "Molly? Who is that?" She asked, confused, sitting back on the side of the Witch's bed. She dangled her feet over the bedside, looking up at the Witch with curiosity. "Was she a friend of yours?"

The Witch flinched at Haruka's comment, but nodded. "…I guess she was." The woman replied, before sighing a bit. "But she's gone now… gone up in heaven with all the other dead souls. I always wondered why she didn't marry. Guess she was too focused on her job to really think about romance." The Witch waved her hand, and a small glass jar filled with unrecognizable items floated out of the cabinet beside her. It opened itself up, and the Witch took two dark, kidney-shaped items from it, plopping them into her solution before mixing again. "It's too bad, though. Some of the guys around here seemed quite interested. Especially the Wizard."

Haruka jolted up at this. "The Wizard?" She asked, a bit confused. "You mean, the one who lives in Harmonica Town…?" _'How can he have liked the old farmer? Wasn't that a long time ago…?'_

The Witch nodded. "Yeah, that's the one." "How long ago was that?" Haruka asked, her curiosity yet again getting the better of her. The Witch tilted her head upward and pressed her lips together, seeming to be lost in thought for a moment, before shrugging. "'Donno. She died a while ago… maybe a century? A long enough time for all the old towns people to grow up and have their own kids, for sure-" "But how is that possible?" Haruka interrupted, completely confused. The Witch sighed. "He's a magical being, Haruka. He's immortal. Him and I have been watching over this town for thousands of years. A century isn't really that long for us." Finally, the Witch stopped mixing her concoction and turned back to her cabinet. With a snap of her fingers, Haruka's mushroom popped out of it. When the object came over to the Witch, she gingerly broke off a piece of its cap, tossing the sparkling item into her mix, before shooing the item back into her storage. The liquid turned a faint purplish color, and the Witch smiled at it. "Perfect."

Haruka, on the other hand, was too busy thinking about what the Witch'd said to notice her actions. What did she mean they've been around for thousands of years? They were really that old? And the Wizard liked the previous farmer… the one who'd came here before Haruka? …Did he still like her now? Haruka gulped as she felt a slight pain in her chest when she thought about that possibility. But if he liked her… didn't that make him a pedophile? What about her? If she liked him, what did that make her? Haruka's face paled. She liked him…? What was she thinking about? She barely knew the guy! She grabbed her head and shook it in frustration.

All the while, The Witch starred at the girl. "Seriously, is something mentally messed up with you? Because you're even stranger than the other humans around here."

Haruka looked up at the Witch, letting go of her head to grip onto the bed sheets underneath her. She pouted. "Well then, that makes us both strange, now doesn't it?" She retorted, turning her head away. The Witch smirked.

"Touché."

* * *

_...And that's it!_

_For today, at least._

_Sorry for the sudden ending, but this chapter is already too long. I'll continue Haruka and the Witch's meeting next chapter._

_Until then~!_

_- 191-Lilangel-191_


	10. Spring 6 Pt 1: Visiting the Wizard

_Wow, it's been quite a long time... but hello, everyone! It's time for me to update this bad boy. This new segment is mainly developing feelings between Haruka and the Wizard... but are the feelings one-sided? Or...?_

_Well, either way, hope everyone enjoys this new chapter!_

_Disclaimer: I don't own Harvest Moon. That is all._

* * *

_Spring 6 Part 1: Visiting the Wizard_

"You _can't_ be serious!"

Finn was complaining as Haruka marched over to the Wizard's house, Fugue Mushroom in hand. Haruka had already completed her chores, which now consisted of both watering her plants _and_taking care of her new cow, Bella, who she'd gotten the previous day from Cain. Who knew he sold cows?

After her chores, Haruka had head over to the forest. She'd also met the Witch the night before, who she thought was a pretty interesting person. Haruka hadn't head over to visit her today, though. You see, she needed to get more lumber so she could quickly upgrade her house… It was starting to get hot in there, and the building she currently lived in was too run-down to support a heater or air-conditioner. And that simply wouldn't do.

While looking for lumber, Haruka had stumbled across a sparkly "Fugue Mushroom", which was a rare item. Or so she'd heard from the Witch last night. The Witch had also told Haruka that they were not only her favorite item, but also the Wizard's… which was the reason why she was at the Wizard's now.

"But… _why?_" Finn complained further, pouting beside Haruka. "Why do we have to visit the Wizard? Why can't we just… ship it… or something?"

Haruka frowned. "I have to make ten friends, remember, Finn?" She asked the sprite, reminding him of her mission. "I'm just being neighborly."

Haruka had introduced Finn to the Wizard last night, as well as the Witch. To her surprise, not only could the Wizard see Finn, but the two knew each other… and didn't enjoy each other's company. At all.

"Besides, I thought magical beings were supposed to be attracted to each other." Haruka told Finn, confused. "Or something like that, anyway… How come you dislike the Wizard so much?"

Finn sighed, shaking his head. "It's a long story…."

Haruka frowned again, stopping in front of the Wizard's door and placing her hand that wasn't holding the mushroom on her hip. "But I want to know!"

Finn glanced up at Haruka and paused, keeping his gaze on her for a second, then shook his head again. "How 'bout I tell you later?"

Haruka was about to protest, when she heard the door beside her open.

"...Yes?" A small voice whispered from inside. Haruka turned to it, and her eyes widened. There, in front of her, stood the Wizard. His silver hair shined in the sunlight, and he was holding a hand over his eyes, obviously not used to the sunlight. Still… he was here. And looking at Haruka. She blushed.

"W-Wizard!" Haruka stammered, reaching out to the top of her head to smooth her hair a bit. "Hey… uh, there!"

The farmer nervously gave the Wizard a small half-wave, and the Wizard eyed her, curiously. "Can I help you…?"

"Uh—yes!" The farmer replied, standing up straight now. "Actually… I found this in the forest, and I heard that you like them, so I thought I'd give it to you…."

Haruka pulled out her mushroom and lifted it up to the Wizard. She kept her eyes on the ground as she pulled it out, though… she was a bit embarrassed.

"Would you take it?" She asked, worried. Thoughts kept running through her head. _'Oooh, what am I doing? Offering a gift out of nowhere? He must think I'm strange, or something….'_

After a moment, Haruka felt the mushroom get lifted out of her hands. _'What if he doesn't like it? What if…?' _She glanced over at the Wizard, nervously.

…And she froze.

The Wizard was blushing.

"Oh, I love this…" She heard him say, bowing his head a bit as he held the Fugue. "Thank you."

Haruka beamed. "Y-You're welcome!" She exclaimed, excitedly, "I'm just glad you like it."

The Wizard froze. He stared at the girl in front of him for a moment, surprised. _'Why….'_

He turned his head away from the farmer, glancing at the ground. Haruka could've sworn his face had turned red.

"…You're strange…." The man muttered, before turning completely away and walking back into his home. He turned around.

"Thanks… again. For the gift." Wizard told Haruka, still bowing his head.

Haruka smiled, softer this time. "You're welcome." She was growing calmer… why was that?

Wizard nodded, fidgeting a bit. Haruka noticed.

"Ah… s-so, I'll see you tomorrow!" She told the man, holding up a hand. She waved it quickly, before turning and running away, leaving a stunned Wizard at his door.

"Ah… yes… see you…." The man replied, holding out a hand to wave, but he was too late. She had already left.

The Wizard closed the door, before leaning his back against it. "Tomorrow, huh…."

The man stared off into space for a moment, but then shook his head. "What a strange girl…."

And, with that, he went back to work, bringing the Fugue Mushroom along with him.


	11. Spring 6 Pt 2: Hands and a Vase

_Hey, everyone! How have you all been? Good? I hope so!_

_Here is a new chapter- This one is about Chase and Haruka! Anyone remember Chase's vase? Read on~_

_P.S. I don't own Harvest Moon!_

* * *

_Spring 6 Part 2: Hands and a Vase_

Chase grabbed his work uniform, backpack, and jacket, and walked over to his front door. It was 17:00—he had to go to work in an hour, and there was _no way _he was going to be late. Opening the front door, Chase looked out it… and sweatdropped at what he saw. There, in front of him, was Haruka, Waffle Island's local farmer, holding out a bunch of berries for Chase to take. Like always.

Chase frowned. "You're late today."

"I know!" Haruka cried, as a response, lowering her head. Her voice grew softer. "I'm sorry… I was late today because… I was getting something."

The farmer looked back up at the chef in front of her.

"Remember how I broke your vase?" She asked.

Chase thought… and remembered. Haruka had been swinging her legs… her legs collided with the table… and… _CRASH!_

Chase nodded. "Yeah… I still have to replace that vase…."

Haruka beamed at this. "That's great!"

Chase raised an eyebrow. "Why is it great that I have to replace something _you _broke?" He asked, stressing a vein, but Haruka just kept smiling. As Chase spoke, Haruka shrugged her backpack off her shoulders and placed it on the floor. She bent down and flipped open the top of it, before beginning to look through it for something.

Chase just grew angrier. "ARE YOU EVEN LISTENI—" He began, but Haruka silenced him as she brought out something and lifted it up to his face.

…A vase.

Chase stopped. "I-Is that…." He muttered, and Haruka nodded.

"…I made it myself, so it's not as fancy as the one I broke…." She muttered, smiling sheepishly up at the boy as he took the vase in his hands, turning it and examining it carefully. She was right; it wasn't as nice as his old one. His original vase was made of glass, mined in the Garmon Mine District and shaped by Mira herself. Haruka's vase, on the other hand, was… well… A piece of crap. It had obviously been constructed out of unidentified ores from the mines, likely mined out by Haruka herself. It was misshapen and lopsided, a pathetic excuse for a vase.

"Haruka…." Chase whispered, looking down at the girl and preparing to scold her. He stood up straight, and Haruka quickly moved into a defensive position, covering her face with her hands.

Chase looked at the cowering girl. Her hands were shaking, fingers battered and covered with quite a few bruises and cuts. Some bits of ore were still stuck to her hands. Looking back at the vase, Chase felt his anger leave him. He lowered his shoulders. She'd worked hard on this.

Chase lifted a hand to the girl, and Haruka flinched, expecting a slap or some form of violence. However, she was surprised when she instead felt something soft on her head. She reached up.

…A hand.

Slowly, Haruka cracked an eye open, looking up at Chase, and was bewildered by what she saw. Chase was… smiling. Softly. At her. She felt her face heat up. She hadn't expected this….

"Thank you." Chase told the girl, keeping his hand on her head. "I appreciate it."

Haruka opened both her eyes.

"You're…" She stammered, before smiling. "You're welcome!"

Haruka stood up straight, happy that her gift was approved. "I'm just glad you like—"

She caught herself, having almost repeated the exact same phrase she had said earlier today, to the Wizard. She corrected herself, bowing slightly: "I'm glad it meets to your approval."

Chase chuckled. "What's with the sudden politeness?" Shrugging, he lifted his hand from his head and clutched the vase.

"Though it _is_ you I'm talking to here, so I probably shouldn't be surprised." He smiled at the girl, "You're always strange."

Haruka smiled, her face flushing from the praise. Well, what she was interpreting as praise.

Chase's eyes drifted from Haruka up to the clock on his wall. Suddenly, his eyes grew wide.

"Oh shit, I'm late…." He hissed under his breath. Looking up, he spoke to Haruka: "I need to go."

Haruka muttered a small, "Oh," of surprise as Chase quickly placed his vase on the table in the middle of the room, leaving it to rattle and find its balance as he sprinted off to work. Haruka turned to watch him leave, lifting her arm up in an attempt to wave.

"Bye, Chase!" She cried out, but he was already too far away to hear. Watching the man leave, Haruka slowly brought her hand down. When it grazed her face, she was astonished; She was blushing.

"What is this…?" Haruka asked herself, moving both her hands up to feel her face.

As Haruka tried to figure out the meanings behind her reaction, she began her trip back home. And as she contemplated Finn's future reaction to her reddened face, the vase in the room behind her came close to gaining its balance, before toppling into an improper, sideways position.


	12. Spring 6 Pt 3: Common Ground

_Spring 6 Part 3: Common Ground_

Chase sprinted into the bar, doubling over to catch his breath. He looked up at the clock in the kitchen: 18:30.

_'I'm late,'_ He realized, before carefully attempting to tip-toe over to his stove. _'Maybe they won't notice….'_

"Eh-_hem_."

Chase froze at the sound of his boss, Hayden, clearing his throat behind him. Slowly turning around, he sweatdropped at the site of Hayden looming over him, his aura dark and murderous.

"You're late," Hayden stated, leering down at Chase's cowering figure. "What took you so long, Chase?"

Chase sighed, bowing slightly.

"I'm sorry, Hayden," He replied, "I got caught up by some…thing, that made me late."

Hayden scoffed.

"I'm not the one you should be apologizing to," He remarked, gesturing at a girl sitting at a table outside the bar. "She's been waiting for her food for half an hour!"

Chase sighed again. "I'll go talk to her," He replied, walking over to her chair.

"That you will," Hayden nodded, before returning to his bar to help out Owen, who was begging for another drink.

Chase walked over to the girl's chair, tapping on her shoulder.

"Hey, I'm sor—" He began, but stopped when the girl turned around. "_You!_"

"What?" Haruka asked the boy, innocently looking up at him with big brown eyes. "What's wrong, Chase?"

Chase glared at her.  
"What are _you_ doing here?!" He asked.

"I was hungry," She stated, "So I ordered food."

She looked down at her plate. Empty.

"It isn't really going very far, though." She commented, peering up at her companion. "You must not be very good at this whole _cooking_ thing."

Chase stressed a vain.  
"Don't comment on my cooking speed when _you_ were the one who _made me late!_" He practically shouted, before realizing what he'd done. He covered his mouth and glanced at Hayden, but he'd been too distracted be Owen to notice. Chase returned his attention to Haruka, trying his best to keep his voice low.

"…How did you get here before me, anyway?"

Haruka laughed.

"I have cows, remember?"

Chase was confused.

"What does that have to do with anything?"

Haruka smirked, feigning pompous behavior.

"Of course a non-farmer like you would _never_ understand," She chuckled, flicking a piece of her hair behind her head, dramatically.

Chase was still confused, and he was ready to continue asking questions, when the doors of the bar suddenly flung open: Julius stood in the entryway, arms open for a hug.

Haruka turned and beamed at the new arrival, her own arms flying open as she stood from her stool: "Julius!" She cried, running towards him for a hug.

"Haruka!" Julius replied, giggling as the two embraced.

"I'm so glad you could make it!" Haruka exclaimed, finally letting go of her friend. They began to small-talk, forgetting completely of the food that had been ordered.

Chase stood awkwardly by the now abandoned table. He attempted to look preoccupied, feeling Hayden's stare from across the room as it seeped through his skin, chilling him to the bone. Finally, he inched his way towards the couple and attempted to intercept their conversation.

"So… Where did you two meet…?" He asked the duo.

He felt sweat collect at the back of his neck as the two starred him down, obviously unamused by the now seemingly idiotic comment.

"The island is only _so_ big, Chase," Julius snapped, pushing a strand of his long, purple hair behind his ear.

"S-Still," Chase continued, "I'd never thought that you two… I mean…." He struggled as the couple continued to stare him down.

"…This is _not_ a "Date," if that's what you're thinking," Haruka replied. "Julius and I are just grabbing a drink. As friends."

Julius smirked, putting an arm around Haruka and pulling her in closer. "That's right, _Chase_. We're just… trying to get to _know_ each other better."

At this point, Chase was stressing a vein at Julius' obviously over friendly actions.

Julius didn't give a damn. He leaned farther towards Haruka, whispering in her ear for a moment. She blushed, and nodded. "Y-yes, a table would be nice…." She replied, before leading Julius back to the table she'd come from.

"Well, we'd better be off," Julius told the chef as they passed. He glared at him from the corner of his eye. "Don't forget her food this time, 'kay? "

Thus, the two returned to Haruka's table, leaving a rather heated Chase standing behind.

_That has got to be the most irritating man in all of Harmonica Town,_ Chase thought to himself as he returned to his post.

* * *

"So, _tell _me_,_" Julius cooed, "What's the deal with you and _loverboy_ over there?"

Haruka almost choked on her raspberry cocktail.

"_What?!"_ She whispered, leaning across the table. "You mean… You mean _Chase?_"

Surprised, Julius leaned back. "Well, _yeah_," He replied, rather directly. "I mean, judging by the conversation back there, and the fact that you pointed out that this is not a date, I thought—"

"_No!"_ Haruka interjected. "No, no, _no!_ Chase and I are _just friends._"

She returned to her drink. "….Besides, I have the Wizard."

Her face flushed at the memory of the man… Tall, dark, handsome, with a trace of magical mystery stuck somewhere in between... Yes, that was the man for her.

"I gave him a present this morning, y'know," She told her friend, filling him in on the day's events. "He… I'm pretty sure he blushed…."

She moved her hands to her face, which was growing warm from the memory.

"He's really the sweetest, you know," She told Julius. "He just makes me feel so…. So safe…."

Julius nodded in understanding: "Mmhmm," He replied, "I totally know how you feel."

He smiled, putting his hands on his own face. "I feel the same way when I'm with Candace…. Like nothing can get to me…."

Giggling, he redirected his attention. "It's nice, huh?"

Haruka laughed, "Yup!"

"But what're you going to do?"

Kathy stood by the side of the table, her hands propping her head down to eye-level with Haruka and Julius. Haruka glanced at her, innocently unsurprised.

"About what?" She asked.

"The Wizard," Kathy replied, looking directly at Haruka. "You've got to pursue him now, right?"

Haruka leaned back in her chair, sighing.

"I suppose I do…" She admitted, "Although I have no idea how to go about doing that."

She ruffled her hair with her free hand, the other fingering the straw in her drink.

"I mean, what can I do? I can't even have a decent conversation with him…."

The trio was silent for a moment, pondering the situation.

"…Well, obviously, you just have to find common ground," Kathy pointed out. Haruka starred at her, slightly confused.

"You know…" She elaborated, "Find something to talk about. Something you both have in common. Establish a common interest."

Haruka thought about the idea, and smiled.

"You're right," she agreed, "I just have to find a common interest!"

Suddenly, she was out of her chair, sprinting towards the door.

"Where are you going?!" Julius called after her.

"Home," Haruka yelled back, "To find myself a common interest!"

With that, the bar's doors swung to a close, and she was gone, leaving Julius and Kathy behind at the table. Julius chuckled.

"That girl is really something," He stated.

"Well, that's what you like about her, isn't it?" Kathy replied, smiling slyly at the man. Julius leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms, and smiled back.

"…I suppose it is."


	13. Spring 10: The Wizard's Assistant

_Spring 10: The Wizard's Assistant_

Around 22:00 in the evening, Haruka paced back and forth in front of the pale door, deciding whether or not to walk in.

_'Is it okay,'_ she asked herself, _'Or will I be intruding?'_

Approximately five hours ago, the young farmer had arrived, hoping to talk to the Wizard for the first time in four days. Approximately three hours ago, she decided to return home to drop off Finn, who had been complaining nonstop about the visit, before returning about an hour later. Finally, it was 10pm hometown time, and Haruka still hadn't gone inside.

_'What's wrong with you, Haruka?'_ she continued, pestering herself, _'He's never been against your visits before….'_

_'But I've only visited so many times….' _Haruka replied, glancing at her watch. _'And they were all at fairly reasonable times… Not 22:10….'_

Haruka sighed, leaning against the house. _'Haruka, you've gone over this so many times. You know what to say. You know what to do. You have a Fugue Mushroom. What could possibly go wrong?'_

Before Haruka could retort, the wall behind her opened up, and Haruka found herself leaning against air.

"AAAaaaaaah!" She screamed, falling back with a crash. She winced as she hit something with a solid, "Thud," and lied there for a moment, in slight pain.

Suddenly, she felt a gust of hot air on her shoulder. She sat up, quickly looking down at where she'd fallen.

"Hello… Haruka…." The Wizard winced, glancing up at the farmer, who was in complete shock.

"W-W-Wizard-!" She gasped, struggling to stand up. "I-I-I am so—"

"Don't worry… about it…." The Wizard interrupted, sitting up. Haruka offered him her hand, and he took it.

"Thanks…." He whispered, hoisting himself up in front of the girl. As he stood, he looked down at her, their faces suddenly close.

They both immediately turned away, the Wizard clearing his throat as Haruka fidgeted with the hem of her skirt.

"Wh-wh-what… brings you here… Haruka?" The Wizard coughed, turning back to the girl.

The girl, glancing nervously back at her companion, clutched onto the straps of her backpack.

"I… I found another… umm…." She swung the bag off her shoulder, switched open the latch, and pulled out the mushroom inside, handing it to the man. "Here…."

The Wizard was surprised. "Another…?" He asked, accepting it graciously.

"You are… so good at finding these!" He said, smiling at the girl. But when she smiled back nervously, he turned his head away and coughed.

"I'm sorry it is so late…." Haruka murmured, but the Wizard shook his head, moving his eyes back to meet hers.

"No… no, it's fine… really…!" He promised, clutching the mushroom. After a moment, Haruka giggled, and he found himself smiling.

"Anyway…." He whispered, "What are you… Is that all…?"

Haruka shook her head. "Actually, Wizard, I was hoping you could… maybe…. Help me out a bit?"  
The Wizard looked confused. "What is it?"  
"Well, you see…" Haruka continued, "Sometimes I work out in the fields really late, and the skies are much clearer out here than in the city… So I can see the stars really easily."  
The Wizard's expression softened. "Yes…" He added, "The sky here is… good for stargazing."

Haruka nodded, smiling. "But, you see," she continued, "I realized that I don't know much about the stars…."

She looked down at her hands, fiddling with her skirt again. "So I was wondering… If you might teach me about it… A little…?"

The Wizard's eyes widened. He was surprised yet again. No one had ever asked for his help before… Well, maybe for fortune telling, or for curing the Witch, but just to be around him…?

Plus, it had been so long since he had watched the stars with somebody else… Not since _she_ had left….

He found himself nodding.

"….Okay," He replied, smiling down at the girl, "But I can't teach it all in one night—"

"Then I can come tomorrow night!" Haruka interrupted, eagerly. She fidgeted, hooking her fingers together in front of her.

"…Or the night after that, or after that, or…." Her words were barely a mumble now, and she felt her face grow warm. She was really rambling now….

"You could be like… my assistant…?" The Wizard asked, curiously, and Haruka nodded.

"Yes, if that's okay-!" She replied, grinning, and the Wizard swallowed nervously.

"...Okay." He replied, and Haruka beamed.

"Thank you, Wizard…!" She replied, bowing. "I won't let you down!"

"So what should I start with first?" Haruka continued, looking up at the man with a gleam in her eyes, and the Wizard had to rack his brain for a suitable task. It couldn't be too personal, or too difficult, since it was _Haruka_ who was helping out….

"Could you just… meet me by the telescope?" He asked, "I can start to show you some things…."

Haruka beamed, before nodding and hopping up the stairs. "I'll meet you there-!"

The Wizard watched the girl go, and he couldn't help but smile.

_'Maybe watching the stars with someone else… Wouldn't be so bad, after all….'_


End file.
